U.S. Pat. No. 3,870,794 describes the use of cotinine in reducing anger, hostility, irritability and frustration, fear and anxiety without general sedation effects. U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,169 describes the effectiveness of cotinine in treating Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's disease through its ability to bind to and hence cause activation of nicotinic cholinergic receptors of the brain of the patient while acting as a nicotinic agonist. Australian Patent 273715 describes the use of cotinine as an effective tranquilizer through its action as a muscle relaxant or anti-spasmodic and in lowering blood pressure. Cotinine has also been shown to assist in tobacco withdrawal (pending U.S. application Ser. Nos. 124,004 and 885,314) as well as in human body weight management (pending U.S. application Ser. No. 964,277) and as a therapeutic agent in treating inflammatory bowel disorder such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis in humans (pending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/405,607).
It has not, however, been previously recognized that cotinine is also able to provide a therapeutic effect in psychiatric disorders such as obsessive-compulsive behavior, Tourette's Syndrome and schizophrenia which are characterized by irrational behavior or repetitive thoughts. In obsessive-compulsive behavior, the patient is under a compulsion to repeat irrational or inappropriate behavior patterns and/or thoughts, while in Tourette's Syndrome the patient has an uncontrollable compulsion to utter inappropriate sounds or words. Similarly, in schizophrenia, the patient has uncontrolled inappropriate or irrational thoughts, delusions or behavior patterns. Schizophrenia, of course, has other characteristics, primarily disorganized or impoverished speech or behavior, flattened affect and avolition, social withdrawal and diminished interest in school or work. While a number of pharmacological treatments have been used for these psychiatric disorders in recent years with a degree of success, no studies have reported the successful treatment of all subjects or the absence of unwanted side effects, e.g., depression, drowsiness, sedation, tardive dyskinesia, agranulocytosis, and other problems. Consequently, a continuing need exists for pharmacological treatments that will alleviate or reduce obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette's Syndrome and schizophrenia.
These and other more detailed and specific objects of the present invention will be better understood by reference to the following detailed description which illustrates by way of example but a few of the various forms of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.